A few days after the NFL renewed its broadcasting deals with NBC, the NFL announced today that they will for the first time ever be live streaming all of this season’s playoff games on the web, including Super Bowl XLVI on February 5, 2012. The streaming will also be available to Verizon smartphone users.

The games will be streamed online at NBCSports.com and NFL.com through SNF Extra, which features an HD broadcast, DVR-style controls, additional camera angles, in-game highlights, live statistics and interactive elements. […]

NBC’s streams on Sunday nights typically average 200,000-300,000 viewers, compared with 21 million for the telecasts. The network has seen no evidence it hurts the traditional broadcasts’ healthy TV ratings. If anything, the extra options online may help keep fans glued to the games on their sets. […]

Smooooth, very very smooth stuff, very classy. Fans already tuning into telecasts are going to continue tuning in, but now they have multiple options of doing so. Schedules are all of a sudden a little more flexible. As for the fans who couldn’t watch the games at all before, now you might be able to. It’s science.

ALSO, gone are the days of risking soiled undies and/or serious bladder problems for fear of missing the next best commercial during the Super Bowl. Now you can just fire up the stream on your Verizon iPhones, iPads or laptops and take it with you. Stream while you stream! I look forward to hearing unfortunate stories of people accidentally dropping said devices in the toilet (but I don’t wish that on anyone).